


I've Got a Secret

by afireiswoken (micaelarose)



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: F/M, Gender or Sex Swap, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 22:15:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4763018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/micaelarose/pseuds/afireiswoken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on <a href="http://otpprompts.tumblr.com/post/120562226789/imagine-person-a-is-engaged-to-person-bs-sibling"> this</a> prompt.<br/><em>Imagine Person A is engaged to Person B's sibling. The trouble is, B has developed serious feelings for A. They have accepted their fate and begun trying to get over A when one day, B comes home to find their sibling crying. They go to try and help but the sibling flies into a rage, accusing a deeply confused B of going behind their back with A. It turns out that A has just confessed to being equally in love with B.</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So both Daniel and Daniil are gender swapped cause why not?

A light breeze tickles her skin, causing goosebumps to rise on her tanned skin. Her hair, although cut pixie length, is blown wild and in her face. It's an extraordinary sight, those components with an added sunset lighting has Dany pulling her camera out of its case and snapping a shot secretively, enraptured with the colors in the sky and _how wonderful Danielle looks_.

"Are we done here?" Danielle asks, checking her phone.

"Yeah," Dany answers, slowing packing her things back up, "I've gotten what I need."

"Wouldn't want to keep Jean-Eric waiting," Danielle smiles, trying her best to straighten her hair and failing.

Dany, pulling her long hair into a quick bun, grimaces and stands quickly.

"Of course," is all she replies with, following the shorter woman back to their car.

\---

"How'd it go?" Jean-Eric asks, greeting his gals as they enter the house.

"Wonderful! I think Dany got the shots we need for the invitations," Danielle says happily, kissing Jean-Eric softly.

"I need to go through them again but I think we're all done," Dany shrugs, not watching as her brother and best friend share another tender moment.

"Did you need a lift back home?" Jean-Eric inquires.

"No, Carlos is on his way," Dany tries not to sound disinterested.

"What's going on there anyways?" Jean-Eric teases, "Let me found out you're next in line for getting married. Mom would be so happy!"

"Dude, no way," Dany cringes, "I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, Carlos is only a friend."

"He's only joking," Danielle pinches Jean-Eric," Why don't you get ready for bed babe, I'll wait for Carlos to get here."

"Good idea," Jean-Eric yawns, "I've got an early wake up tomorrow. I'll see you around sis."

"Yeah, sure," Dany lets Jean-Eric embrace her and awkwardly waves goodbye as he ascends the staircase.

"He won't learn, will he?" Danielle giggles.

"No, he won't," Dany shakes her head, chuckling along with her friend.

Danielle leads her to the sitting room and collapses in the couch, covering her torso with a plush pillow. Dany sinks in next to her, allowing Danielle to rest her feet in her lap. Dany runs a finger carefully over Danielle's ankle, tracing lightly over her bones and feeling her muscles twitch as she relaxes into the touch. It reminds Dany of the times they spent together during school and how after a particularly bad or stressful day they would escape and hide away. Their place was wonderful, it was a small hill overlooking their neighborhood. A tall tree stood tall on the hill and underneath was a single bench. The Vergne siblings and Danielle would climb the tree as kids, the person who climbed the highest was always Danielle and the trio owe many ripped pairs of jeans to that tree. They named the hill toro rosso and did so because if you laid under it at the right angle, the spaces between the branches and leaves formed a small bull shape. If you visited the tree at the right time, the bull would be illuminated by the evening sky, transforming it into a _red bull_. As they grew up and Jean-Eric found his own group of friends, the hill became solely the girls.

Then Danielle chose it as the sight for her wedding pictures and suddenly, it no longer felt like it was Dany's hill.

Carlos arrives shortly later, interrupting the girls from discussing different things that still need to be done before the wedding. Danielle walks Dany to the car, greeting Carlos with a kindness Danielle has that seems never ending. Carlos waits for Danielle to reenter the house before pulling away, expending a glance at Dany.

"You alright buddy?" Carlos asks, his Spanish accent so heavy with concern.

They begin the familiar climb to toro rosso, the stinging feeling Dany felt earlier has come again.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

\---

Carlos met Dany in their university years, Dany studying in the arts and Carlos in several advanced science fields. He was just about the only person who didn't like Danielle the second he met her but eventually got over it. He never really integrated into the trio that was already established, he instead, reserved a spot for himself with Dany and stuck with her all the way. He knew just about everything about Dany, from her weird pre-sleeping habit to her adoption to the way she names objects around her. While he never staked claims at toro rosso, he's visited there often and knows fully why Dany loves it so much.

\---

He drops Dany off in front of her apartment, unlocking the car door.

"Max wants you to come over," Carlos says, "He wants to prepare a traditional meal for you."

"I'd love that," Dany looks at her friend sadly, "I need that."

"It'll be okay Dany," Carlos assures her, patting her knee gently.

"I'm sure," she hums, fiddling with her camera.

"You should get some sleep," Carlos gages her reaction, "Long day ahead of you tomorrow."

"Oh fuck off," Dany snides, ignoring Carlos' laugh.

Dany opens the door, allowing herself to step onto the sidewalk, she turns around and looks back into the car.

"Thank you."

"Tell ol' Mitchy I said hello," Carlos jests.

Dany rolls her eyes and says her goodbyes, entering her apartment. She kicks off her shoes by the door and hangs her bag on the hooks. She takes the camera bag to her small 'office' she's got set up by the largest window of her apartment. Dany wants to begin editing the photos and preparing them to be printed and shown to her family but can't bring herself to open the bag. She sits at the desk, turning on her computer and logs into facebook, mindlessly scrolling before she freezes.

**Danielle Ricciardo**

_Only 56 more days until I marry my best friend_ feeling excited.

Dany feels obligated and likes the status, not bothering to read all of the well wishes from family and friends. It is however the one from Carlos that makes her crack a smile.

**Carlos Sainz Jr.**

_Shouldn't you be marrying Dany then?_

The comment gets a like and notices that one other person has liked it as well and checks who it is. Her smile widens as she sees that it was Danielle who also liked it. She doesn't reply to Carlos' but does to everyone else. Dany sighs, puts her computer in standby mode, and drags herself to her bedroom. She leaves a trail of clothes as she walks, removing everything except her underwear, kicking them into a sort of pile she'll pick up in the morning and crawls into bed. Sleep doesn't come easy for her but when it does finally hit her, it's nearly four in the morning and she's due at work at seven.


	2. chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notice the tag changes? *waggles eyebrows*

Dany doesn't get much sleep that night; roughly two hours under her belt after showering and getting ready for work. She takes a slice of toast and a thermo of coffee with her as she goes about her morning routine. The memory card she's reserved for her brother's wedding is forgotten as she arrives at her joint studio, greeting the assistant on her way to her office. Dany slumps into her chair and begins her days work, hoping to have an excuse to leave early.

\---

Dany's having lunch at a cafe, she's placed her order and now waits for Mitch to join her. She's known Mitch a little less than a year now but there's no way in hell he knows much about her and vice versa. It makes things easier for them, it's cleaner and doesn't hurt as much when Mitch leaves in the middle of the night. They're both completely fine with their arrangement and neither of them have considered taking it further than it is. Mitch is under the impression Dany is unobtainable because she's too much wild spirit to be tamed while Dany thinks Mitch might have a girlfriend she doesn't know about.

Mitch arrives on time, kissing her cheek as he takes his seat across from her, smiling as he gets a proper look at her.

"You really didn't have to go through all that trouble for me, love," Mitch praises.

Dany rolls her eyes, knowing well that Mitch loves it when she does it. Dany doesn't really consider her outfit a show stopper. She's dressed in black leggings, black leather boots that reach mid-calf, and a black tank top with a plum colored blazer over it. Her hair was wet this morning so she pulled it into her signature bun but took it down when she sat down, resulting in soft honey accented waves that frame her face. Mitch makes an appreciative noise and lightly kicks her boot under the table.

"You know very well that I don't dress to appease a man," Dany corrects him, teasing Mitch by putting her straw on her bottom lip but not taking a drink from her cup.

"I know you don't," Mitch agrees, smiling wickedly, "But every man in here has looked at you once."

Dany blushes, hiding her smile behind her hands. Mitch scolds her, pulling them away from her face. He holds her gaze with his own, his chocolate enriched eyes burning deep in her, stirring her insides.

"Stop that," she whispers, letting her hands fall to the table. Mitch's hands fall with them, covering her delicate and dainty hands with his work torn ones. They're still in that position when the server awkwardly coughs, setting their food before them.

"How's the editing going?" Mitch asks, bringing his napkin to his face to prevent Dany from seeing him chew his food.

"It's alright," Dany shrugs, "Danielle wants the photos to be Star Wars theme while Jev wants traditional."

"Dress Danielle as Han Solo and your brother as Leia and see what they say," Mitch suggests.

"Oh no, Danielle would like that too much and we would never be able to convince her otherwise."

Mitch laughs, washing down his food with a sip of his drink. He dabs at his lips, wiping away sauce from the corner of his mouth.

"Screw them both and do Star Trek."

Dany laughs loudly, choking on her food as her laughter subsides.

"Jev as Captain Kirk, no way! Danielle would be a ridiculous Spock!" Dany giggles.

"I guess you're stuck with making a fun copy and a boring copy," Mitch concludes.

"I guess so."

They finish their meal, passing small talk as they eat. Mitch details to her about this new project they're starting at work. They're tearing apart an Honda Accord and rebuilding it from the ground it, engine included. Mitch says they plan on reselling it but if it comes out they way he wants, Mitch wants to keep it for himself. Dany tells him to go for it and even asks if she could see what they're doing and hopefully learn a few tricks. Mitch takes up her offer but prompts her with the idea of them doing a mock photo shoot together, telling Dany he wants a picture of her so he can show her off to the guys at the shop (when Dany says maybe it almost always means yes so when she responds with that, Mitch already tosses out ideas for it).

Mitch covers their bill, walking Dany back to her studio when they leave. He never goes up with her, it feels too personal but always opens the door as she enters the building, giving her a goodbye kiss before she goes. None of Dany's coworkers mention it so Dany doesn't either, keeping Mitch to herself.

\---

Because of the wedding, the Vergne family has gotten together a lot. Lea loves it when Dany comes to the family home, being the youngest of the three never sat well with her but she's always showered with adoration from her only sister. Jean-Marie greets his elder children with kisses on both cheeks and takes their groceries from them. Sylviane's in the kitchen preparing their meal and feverishly accepts her missing ingredients with awaiting hands.

"Danica, could you cut the onions please?" Sylviane asks, stirring her sauce gently.

Dany gets too it, washing her hands and begins her task. Lea sits at the island counter, chatting excitedly with her sister and asking her all sorts of questions about attending Silverstone. Both Jean-Eric and Dany went to university there and now the smallest Vergne is set to study there as well and she's full of questions, questions about lodging, exams, and uni life. Sylviane cringes and asks them to stop, not willing to remind herself that all of her children have and are going to have left the nest.

"It's time we build our own nests," Jean-Eric comments, retrieving beers for both himself and their father.

"Oh, mon fils!" Sylviane cries out, dropping her utensils to hug her son.

"When is Danielle coming over?" Lea asks, not looking up from her university applications.

"Soon, she's leaving work now," Jean-Eric says, consoling his mother.

"I always knew she would join the family!" Sylviane says, patting Jean-Eric, "I'm so happy for you!"

"Next is Dany!" Lea cheers, smiling widely at her sister.

"Not a chance," Dany scowls, "You'll end up married before I am."

"Enough talk about marriage!" Jean-Marie calls from the other room, "I'm becoming parched, Jean-Eric!"

Jean-Eric excuses himself, leaving the girls to finish up the meal. Dany pretends to be interested in their conversation but she has an awful taste in her mouth and a permanent unimpressed look on her face.

"Bonjour Danielle!"

Upon hearing that, Lea jumps up, greeting Danielle as she enters the house. Dany looks up, expecting to see her but she's stopped in the living room and doesn't have a chance to greet the other two women until they call out that dinners ready.

"Don't you look wonderful," Sylviane hugs Danielle when she's in reach, "I cannot wait to be a grandmother!"

"Madame Vergne, that's really soon," Danielle rubs her arm awkwardly, ignoring Jean-Marie's encouraging looks.

"Nonsense! Sylviane and myself had Jean-Eric a year after we were married! Danica came only half a year later! It's not soon enough!" Jean-Marie sits in his chair, allowing his wife to serve him.

"There's a lot of things Danielle and I want to do before we have kids, père," Jean-Eric stresses.

"Non," Sylviane, "You could do them with a baby!"

"I don't think going swimming with sharks is safe for a baby," Danielle jokes.

"Save the baby talk for after the wedding," Lea interjects, "That's the most important thing as of now."

"Speaking of which, have you finished the pictures yet, Danica?" Jean-Marie asks.

"No."

"Why not? We need to get them sent as soon as possible!" Sylviane chides.

"There's this thing called editing," Dany sighs, "The photos don't come out perfect. If they did, anyone could be a photographer."

"Please, Danica. These are important," Jean-Marie frowns, "We need to know how many people are coming so we can tell the caterer. Besides, I'm sure Danielle's family would love to see pictures of their baby!"

Danielle smiles, eating a small bite from her plate.

"Don't worry, I'll get your pictures," Dany growls, pushing her plate away from her.

"Not now, Danica," their father warns.

Lea looks down, gaining a sympathetic look from Dany. Danielle watches her friend closely, knowing well what comes next in this chain of events.

"I've got to go," Dany stands up, ignoring their mothers pleads to stay, "I'll have the pictures ready by tomorrow."

Dany leaves the room, listening to her parents argue for the thousandth time over the same trivial things. Usually her mother would ask her father to be nice and gently remind him that Dany needs space while he says she needs to grow up. Poor Lea sits in the crossfire as their parents fight while Jean-Eric shakes his head, wishing that for once his family could have a normal dinner. As the wedding date approaches, Jean-Eric gets more anxious about having to sit them all together.

Danielle follows Dany outside, calling her name before she has a chance to leave the yard.

"Please come back inside, Dany," Danielle walks up behind her.

"You know I can't Dan," she huffs.

"There's no reason for you to fight so much with them," Danielle says softly, "They're just being parents."

"It's not like that for me, Danielle," Dany takes a deep breath, "They act like they're saints because they adopted me from a poor family but they're not. I'm just some trophy they've collected from across the globe."

"That's just ridiculous," Danielle challenges, "You know they love you. You can't pull this card every time you disagree with them."

"But I can! It's true! You didn't grow up in my household!"

Dany turns around, tears have formed in her eyes but she's trying so hard not to let them fall. Danielle reaches out to console her friend but retracts it when Dany pulls away.

"You seem to forget, I pretty much lived with you," Danielle murmurs, "I don't know what's gotten into you recently, Dany but for the sake of my wedding, please push it aside."

Dany feels a cold shiver go up her spine. She stands taller, steeling her face as she curls her lips downwards.

"I'll drop the pictures off tomorrow," Dany says and turns back to the street, heading back home.

"Dany! At least let me give you a ride!"

Dany ignores her, reaching into her coat pocket and finding her headphones, plugging them in and turning the volume high. She doesn't stop walking until she's back to her apartment.

\---

**Danica K.**

_Are you busy?_

**Mitch E.**

_No... Thought you were at you parents house..?_

**Danica K.**

_Things got... complicated..._

_Can you come over?_

**Mitch E.**

_I'll be over in 20_

\---

Mitch arrives exactly when he says he would. He's instantly lead into Dany's bedroom and is sat on the bed. Because they don't talk a whole lot about their personal life, Mitch doesn't know how to cheer up Dany. He doesn't know words to make her feel better, doesn't know what feel good movie to put on, or even her favorite candy to feed her graciously. He does, however, know how to make her writhe with his hands and knows that Dany would prefer that over a poem any day.

So he gets to work. Mitch will undress her slowly, trailing his fingertips down her legs so he can massage her sore feet. Then place soft, opened mouth kisses on her ankle, going up her legs just as slowly as he went down, his fingers deftly working on her tense muscles until they're putty and coming undone. Next he moves to her arms, slipping her out of her blazer and pushes her tank top up to suck bruises on her ribs, writing those poems on her flesh instead of whispering them in her ears.

Dany lets Mitch take his time, tangling lime green fingers into his brown hair and holding tightly as he removes her top fully and works on pushing aside the straps to her bra. Mitch comments on the navy blue color of her undergarments, saying how stark they stand out on her pale skin then he reaches around her, unhooking her bra with ease and lets it fall free, pooling in his lap as he begins worshiping her breasts, lapping at her nipples and pinching them with his calloused fingertips. Dany's moans echo in her room. She climbs on Mitch's lap, stealing his mouth to kiss him, letting him lick into her mouth as he scolds her for interrupting him.

"Mitch," she sighs, allowing him to lay her on the bed.

He looks down at her, enjoying the sight of her. Her hair is falling from her bun and her cheeks are flushed red, her mouth a perfect 'o'. Her lips are a deadly shade of red and slick with both her and Mitch's saliva. Mitch absolutely cherishes the sight, caressing her face before moving his hands down her torso. One hand stays on her hip while the other pulls her underwear down.

"Oh, Dany," Mitch kisses her again, allowing his happiness to fill her through their joined lips.

Mitch finally makes his way down her body one last time, leaving a trail of kisses along her collarbones and down her sternum. He doesn't bury himself in her right away, he bites her inner thighs and leaves dark bruises in his wake. Only when she begs does he find her clit with this thumb, continuing his marking while drawing circles with his finger. Dany bucks up, scrambling to find something to hold on to. She clutches the bed sheets with one hand and takes Mitch's hand with her other. Her sharp nails dig into his skin, letting him know she's lost into his motions by crying a litany of his name. Mitch runs his tongue down her leg until he reaches her sex, pausing slightly before pushing aside her trimmed hair and the folds of her vagina before licking her.

Dany's back arches and her hand in the sheets immediately files to his head, pushing his head and tongue deeper inside her. Mitch allows it, switching between rough and soft, fast and slow ministrations on her clit, keeping his licking at a even pace.

"Oh, Mitch," Dany twitches when he finds a particularly good spot.

Mitch doesn't relent, not even when she begs for him to take her. He keeps eating her until she's crying out her release, pushing him away from over stimulation.

Mitch wipes his mouth on the back of his hand, slowly pulling her underwear back up to cover her. The smile on his face doesn't go away and he waits for Dany's further instructions.

"Come 'ere," she whispers, still having a hold of one of his hands. Mitch releases it only to undress himself, stripping down to his briefs. He moves Dany until she's under the blanket and joins her, cuddling her to his chest.

"Thank you," Dany says.

Mitch kisses the top of her forehead in reply. He accidentally lays on her hair, forcing them to move until he's spooning her from behind, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Dany's hands both start out underneath her head but she removes one and slides it down the bed until she finds Mitch's hand and then, she intertwines their fingers. Mitch doesn't stop the smile from forming on his lips, filling in whatever space between them by getting closer.

It's not much longer after that when they fall asleep, Mitch before Dany. Her mind is still running from the orgasm and her family and it won't allow her to slumber peacefully. The last time she checks the time the clock reads two forty-seven. Dany finally closes her eyes and for once, Mitch stays the night properly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you got an email saying I updated this, I hadn't yet! I was messing with formatting and accidentally posted it!  
> Also, I'm having so much fun with this fic and I hope you all are too!! :D  
> P.S. Guys, the is the first time I've ever written heterosexual smut! :')


	3. chapter 3

Mitch couldn't stay past ten, something came up at his work but he left Dany after making her breakfast in bed and morning cuddles. Dany doesn't know what to think of it all, they've never done anything like this before but she blames it on her stress and enjoys herself before she forces herself out of bed. She's editing the photos and plans to deliver them to Danielle before anyone else decides to have a cow over the situation and hardly finds any inspiration to do such. Dany ends up doing traditional and completes everything a little past one. Her phone buzzes and she immediately checks it.

**Danielle R.**

_Are you doing anything?_

Dany's lips form a small smile, typing out a reply in seconds.

**Danica K.**

_No. Just finished editing your photos... Sorry, no Star Wars._

Dany goes about printing the photos, placing the freshly printed ones safely for traveling and begins cleaning up after herself. She rubs her eyes, the bright computer screen has left them sore.

**Danielle R.**

_That's okay :) Was wondering if you'd like to join me later today. I have to finalize the flower bouquets and make sure my dress still fits. All this French cuisine has me growing at the waist lol_

Dany doesn't respond to this message quickly. She looks at it, reading it several times before typing a short _Sure, love to_ and exiting out of the app. Danielle sends her a time to meet her and Dany continues to finish up her personal and business related work, only stopping herself to send a message asking if she can bring a plus one.

\---

Dany meets Danielle at their favorite coffee place two hours later, ordering her preferred brew while Danielle sips on her iced coffee. They sit and chat a couple moments before heading to the bridal gallery. While they wait for an employee to bring out her tailored dress, Dany pulls out the pictures, handing the envelope to Danielle.

"Oh Dany, these are beautiful," Danielle squeaks, her fingers brushing over them softly.

Dany doesn't reply, instead watching as Danielle inspects each one slowly, a small smile on her lips as she checks them all. Danielle carefully puts them back in the safety of the envelope and hugs Dany.

"You're the best," Danielle whispers, nuzzling Dany.

Dany clings to Danielle, her fingers digging into the other womans shirt. They only separate when the employee coughs, signaling to Danielle that the dress is waiting for her in the dressing room. Dany nudges her, wrapping her arms around herself as the warmth from Danielle is gone and is replaced with a chill. It's only a short while before Dany hears the rustling of a dress and looks up to await Danielle emerging from the room. She's literally blown away when she comes into view.

The dress is fitted to her pear shape, the skirt is a a-line cut with a silky look and feel. Danielle turns in front of the mirror, inspecting the dress and Dany gets a closer look at the back. It's a lace with a delicate v shaped opening that ends just before the small of her back. The dress has sleeves that reach her forearm; the front of it covers her all the way to the collarbones, hanging off each shoulder just a bit. It's a beautiful dress, one undoubtedly chosen by her mother. The employee approaches, attaching a tiara that has a long veil that runs down her back all the way to the floor.

"What do you think?" Danielle asks, not turning away from the mirror but looks at Dany in her reflection.

Dany swallows, running her eyes up Danielle one last time before meeting her eyes in the reflection.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Dany stutters, "It fits you perfectly."

"Thank you," Danielle whispers, running her hands over the smooth material of the skirt.

The employee double checks with Danielle that it fits well and offers to wrap everything up. Danielle leaves the show area without glancing at Dany, hurrying out of the dress. She hands it over carefully, watching as the lady folds it slowly, adding tissue to dress the box as she finishes wrapping it.

They leave the gallery with the dress, driving to the next location in silence. Dany wants to comment further on the dress but instead fiddles with her photos in her hands. The corners of the envelope have started to wrinkle and tear slightly but Dany isn't paying attention - if needed, she would reprint the pictures anyways.

"We're here," Danielle says, putting the car in park and grabs her purse.

The color scheme of Danielle and Jean-Eric's wedding were originally hues of teals and sky blues but was changed to lilac and lavender when neither partner could come to a solid agreement on which shade of blue they wanted. Danielle intended on getting her way by adding blue forget-me-nots to her bouquet. The duo was here to confirm the order and make any last minute changes to any arrangements.

The flowers that would center the tables were simple arrangements of white myrtles, purple tulips, and primroses. The bouquet she would carry down the aisle would be those flowers, the forget-me-nots, and a lone gardenia. The man helping them with her order double checks that Danielle wants the gardenia, stating it would stick out like a sore thumb but she is firm and wants it displayed fully. He doesn't object, leaving them shortly to bring forth a sample of her bouquet. Danielle turns back to Dany and is about to ask her opinion when she sees Dany chatting to a man.

"Dany?" Danielle approaches, preparing herself in case she's has to scare the stranger off.

"Dan, this is Mitch," the man wraps his arm around Dany's waist, sticking his other hand out to greet Danielle, "Mitch, this is Danielle."

"Pleasure to meet you," Mitch says softly, a smile on his face.

Danielle doesn't trust it one bit but shakes his hand anyways, plastering her own smile on her face. Dany looks fondly at 'Mitch' and Danielle clutches her phone in a tight grip.

"I'm assuming this is the plus one you were talking about," Danielle says stiffly.

"Did you think I was talking about Carlos?" Dany inquires.

"Miss? Your bouquet," the man interrupts, showing off a beautiful piece. The forget-me-nots surround the gardenia, the largest one Danielle has ever seen. She gets an incredibly odd feeling, something awful settling low in her gut but she thanks the man and gives him the okay to finalize the order.

"Where to now?" Dany asks as they leave the store, Mitch holding the doors for the ladies.

"Your parents want to have dinner tonight," Danielle crumples the receipt in her hand.

"I'm starved," Mitch walks with them to Danielle's car although his is on the other side of the parking lot.

"You're more than welcome to join," Dany says softly.

"It's a bit last minute don't you think? They may not have made extra.." Danielle grits.

"Oh please! My family hasn't cooked a normal sized meal since Carlos entered my life," Dany jokes.

Danielle nods, a soft smile graces her face.

"Maybe another time then," Mitch suggests, loosening his hold on Dany.

"No, tonight is perfect," Dany shakes her head, "Do you mind if I ride with Mitch?"

Danielle shrugs, opening her car door without a second look at look towards the two. She doesn't close the car door until Mitch and Dany walk towards his car, some sort of old Porsche model. Danielle watches as he opens her door for her, giving her a kiss before closing the door. It's not quite anger, Danielle discovers, it's disappointment that her friend hadn't shared such a secret with her.

Danielle arrives at the Vergne household first and for once, she's dredging going inside. She still hasn't come to a conclusion as to why she feels so off. It's almost like in the ride from the floral shop something she can't put her finger on has changed. She doesn't, however waste time; Danielle exits her car and begins gathering her items together, preparing to take them inside. She slows down when she realizes the other two aren't there yet.

Inside the Porsche is a different scene; Dany is giving Mitch a crash course of her family and is in the process of fabricating a detailed story about their relationship.

"Danica, calm down," Mitch says with a smile, "We'll tell them the truth. We didn't meet anywhere shady like the club, we met when you brought your car into the shop to have it looked at."

"Then I gave the car away," Dany said sadly.

"Only because based on the year your car was and the substantial amount of work required to fix it, it wasn't worth it," Mitch reassured her, "Something tells me you're happier taking the bus and walking everywhere instead."

Dany nods, explaining how there's always more to experience in the day outside rather than inside a car. Mitch smiles along, his heart constricting from hearing her speak so passionately. He does, however, have to interrupt her to point out the pair of eyes looking their way through the blinds of the front window.

"Oh, that's Lea, my sister. She's going to love you," Dany smiles happily.

"Then let's go inside, I'd love to meet her," Mitch says.

Dany and him exit the door, noticing Danielle waiting for them. The three of them walk to the front together, Danielle in the front with Dany and Mitch behind her.

Danielle's shoulders are slightly tense, her hands wrapped as tightly as possible around the envelope as possible without ripping or tearing the contents inside. She's still trying to shake this suspicious feeling Mitch gives her while opening the door and announcing their arrival.

Dany and Mitch had been walking side-by-side until they reach the door. It's then he reaches down and entangles his fingers with Dany's. He looks to her, smiling as the door is opened and the sounds from inside are no longer muffled. He's buzzing, hoping this is a sign he could very well be getting out of the position Dany has reduced him to. He no longer wants to be just someone she has sex with, he hasn't wanted to be that person for months now. So Mitch braves himself for this seemingly dysfunctional and crazy family because he intends on one day being apart of it.

Dany's reading too much into, she knows that. She knows Danielle is angry because she's lied to her every time she asked if she's seeing anyone or if she's even interested. Dany knows she's upset because she's kept a secret from her. She doesn't pray it's because she's jealous because she tries to no longer have those hopes. Dany doesn't stop Mitch from holding her hand, smiles back at him when he does.

She does however, cringe when she hears her fathers voice greet Danielle and she does immediately regret her decision when her mother squeaks when she sees Mitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, it's been a while... Inspiration has hit and life has settled once more and hopefully this is promising??


	4. chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed a few things to chapter three. They're not major but they do change the pace of this story.

"That must have been so awkward," Carlos shivers, "But I want to know everything, how did it go?"

Dany sighs, cups her coffee harder and begins reviewing the previous night, "As you can imagine, my family freaked out. They absolutely loved Mitch..."

"I'm assuming he's your boyfriend now," Max offers Carlos his refilled mug of hot chocolate. He plops down next to Carlos, touching his warm legs with his icy cold feet.

"Yes," Dany cringes, "Don't get me wrong, Mitch is a really good guy and he treats me really good but I'm not.. I'm not really in a place for a relationship right now."

"Not to mention, you're not straight darling," Carlos coons.

"No, I'm not but they think I am. Even after Nicola," Dany frowns, "But that's not what we're talking about. After drilling him for thirty minutes after his entire life they decided to ask if he was going to Danielle's wedding and got pretty upset when he said he hadn't received an invitation... He's my plus one now..."

Carlos puts his hand on Dany's thigh, soothing her. Max has a strange look on his face and Dany decides she isn't interested in his pity party.

"I know what you're thinking Max, you might as well just say it out loud," she snaps.

"No, you don't know what I'm thinking but since you're so inquisitive I'll inform you; I do not see the purpose of torturing yourself. If you don't like Mitch then don't be with him, you're wasting time for both of you. Secondly, because you're so torn up about Danielle marrying your brother you've become a bit snippy and have, to be completely honest, starting letting yourself go. You don't look well Danica, you need to heal yourself."

"Max!" Carlos elbows him.

"I wish I could apologize but I can't. You're a beautiful woman, Dany, but you're making yourself miserable. I'm not trying to pity you, I want to help you. Carlos and I both do but I'm not as nice as him," Max ignores Carlos' glare.

Dany sighs deeply, bringing a slightly forced smile forward, "Believe me, I know you're right. Mitch doesn't deserve this... I'm just stressed and anxious about this entire situation..."

"You don't have to be."

"Okay time-out. I'm gonna play good cop for a couple minutes because you two are both kind of silly. Dany, I know you like Mitch. I can see it in the way you talk about him and you're right, he's a really nice guy. From the few times we've run into each other I can say that there's nothing negative I can say about him. I know you care for him and I know a part of you wants it to work but sweetie, you're never going to be happy if you still mourn over your lost opportunity. I think we all need to finally come to terms with the fact that Jean-Eric and Danielle are getting married. It's weird for me because I honestly thought Jev was gay but that's beside the point. The point is Max and I are here for you but our generosity and wisdom can only go so far. You have to want to be happy," Carlos squeezes her thigh one time before putting his hand back in his own lap.

Dany's smile isn't fake this time and she sort of feels like she might cry. She truly does know that they're right and graciously accepts their advice despite how harsh it can be. She begins to nod eventually just melts into Carlos' side, snuggling her best friend. Max throws in a supportive back rub and Dany feels so warm that she completely forgets she's supposed to help send out engagement photos.

\---

Two days have passed and Dany isn't sure when her mother will stop scolding her for forgetting to help. Dany succumbs to Lea's pleas and kidnaps her from school, taking her to a nail salon and lunch at a shopping center afterward. It wasn't a terrible day and the evening is considered a success when both girls leave with shoes for the wedding. In a few days time the two of them alongside Danielle's other bridesmaid will try on their dresses for the final time and put the finishing touches on the bachelorette party.

Time feels like it's passing too quickly and Danica can't really seem to catch a break.

Mitch has begun doing more 'boyfriend' things. He surprised Dany with flowers at her work the other day and has started seeing her for more than just sex. It adds more stress to Dany as she's still trying to get into the mindset that Mitch is hoping to get serious with her. They never talked about it, never complained that their relationship was becoming more and it feels like poor timing. Her mother tries to talk her into becoming the next to get married, hoping for two grandbabies relatively soon and Dany's becoming incredibly fed up with it.

Dany has also noticed a change in Danielle. She recently got back in touch with her old college friend, Sebastian, and has seemingly lost time to hang out with the Vergne family. No one really suspects anything and loves joking about cold feet. Sebastian uploads and tags Danielle in a photo of them at _toro rosso_. Danielle's straddling the first branch on the tallest tree, looking out over the neighborhood. Her pixie length hair completely mussed from the wind and Dany's heart clenches. Sebastian captions the photo as 'Die Ehe geschieht wie mit Käfigen: die Vögel ohne Verzweiflung zu bekommen, und die in Verzweiflung des Aussteigens. - Michel de Montaigne' which Dany google translates within seconds. The translated version adds to her confusion and begins to wonder if she should call Danielle.

\---

The countdown reaches thirty days and Dany actually feels good. Danielle is still being relatively distant from the family but Jean-Eric confirms over dinner at the Vergne house that she's been working out flight and hotel details with her family and that work has picked up for her. Jean-Marie, with good intentions, jokes that's she's been considering changing her nationality to German and all it does is upset Jean-Eric and leave the dinner table quiet for the rest of the meal.

Dany's getting ready to leave, completely full of garlic soup and salad that she considers staying the night with her family. She sends a text to Mitch, telling him that she most likely isn't going to go home and finds Lea staring at a letter left on the foyer table.

"What's that?" Dany asks, sliding her phone in her back pocket.

"It's addressed to you," she replies, making no motion to hand her the letter.

"Who is it from?" Dany steps forward, invading her younger sister's space.

Lea doesn't answer, instead, she hands Dany the letter and gives her a worried look.

Dany's breath catches in her throat, her hand slightly crumpling the edge of the letter. Sylviane sees her daughters huddled together and approaches them to see what they're looking at.

"How long has this been here?" Dany whispers, facing her sister, seeing their mother standing behind them, "How long?"

Sylviane's head snaps to Lea, "Where did you find that?"

"Answer the question," Dany yips.

"We were going to wait to give it to you," Sylviane frowns, "You seemed so stressed lately and when you finally cheered up we couldn't bring ourselves to give it to you."

"How long have you had this fucking letter?" Dany yells, backing away from her family.

"A little over a month," Sylviane mumbles.

Dany can't help the tears that develop in her eyes, the sharp sting of betrayal creeping over her. "You've kept a letter from my mother hidden from me for a little over a month?" she chokes.

"Danica, please, you have to understand where we are coming from," Sylviane reaches for her.

"Do not touch me! Answer this Sylviane," Dany's words are poison, venom laced and aimed to hurt, "How long have I begged you and Jean-Marie to help me get in touch with my birth family? How long?"

"Dany," Sylviane feels every ounce of the hatred radiating off Dany and desperately tries again to reach out to her.

"How dare you," Dany growls. She is swift. She jerks her coat over her small and lanky frame, snatching her purse from the chair by the door and is out of the house like a bat out of hell. She practically sprints away from the house, her tears like ice against her face.

She doesn't stop running until she's at the base of _toro rosso_. Her back hits the bark of the oldest tree, the very tree Jean-Marie found her crying at when she found out her family wasn't coming back for her. The hill feels unfamiliar to her now. It no longer feels like a safety place, it's just a hill with strategically placed trees. Dany slides down the tree and holds her knees for several minutes; she secretly hopes Jean-Marie will come for her again, console her and tell her that she's family but knows it won't happen. Jean-Marie hasn't followed her after a temper tantrum in years. Her phone buzzes for a while before that too stops ringing.

Dany isn't for sure how long she stays there but it's become unbearably cold. She removes her phone from her pocket and dials the number for the cab services, gives them her location, and tosses her phone into her purse. The faint sound of paper rustling reminds her that there's a letter to be read.

She gently pulls it out, smoothing the rumpled sides. She won't open it for another moment but when she does, she gingerly rips the letter open from the seal, pulling the letter free from the envelope. The cab arrives before she can begin reading it so she unfolds it carefully in the backseat of the cab. She reads each letter and word in the passing streetlights, it takes her the entire duration of the ride to read all of it and it doesn't entirely sink in until she's laying underneath her blankets, still fully dressed. She reads it again and again, slowly and then quickly to be sure she has read everything. She falls asleep with the words still ringing in her head. The curves and loops of the cautious cursive script haunting her.

_Moy sladkaya Danica,_

_How are you, my child? It has been entirely too long.. I suppose that you are no longer a child. It has taken me several years to fight for this, this small letter. Danica, I want you to know that words cannot describe how incredibly grateful I am to finally be in contact with you. I pray that this letter has reached you... Please, Danica, we beg you, reply to us as soon as you can. There are many things to explain to you and not nearly enough ink or paper to write them. We will be waiting patiently for your return letter._

_With love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Marriage happens as with cages: the birds without despair to get in, and those within despair of getting out. - Michel de Montaigne --- Die Ehe geschieht wie mit Käfigen: die Vögel ohne Verzweiflung zu bekommen, und die in Verzweiflung des Aussteigens. - Michel de Montaigne  
> My sweet Danica --- Moy sladkaya Danica.

**Author's Note:**

> Tags and ratings will change as needed and whatnot


End file.
